Corset-stay.



A. SHORROCK.

CORSET STAY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14. 19!].

1,297,742. Patented M51=.18,1919.

nomviy used ED STATES ARTHUR SHORROCK, OF NORTH ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS.

CORSET-STAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

Application filed November 14, 1917. Serial No. 201,895.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR SHonRooK, citizen of the United States, residing at North Adams, Massachusetts, have invented new and useful improvements in Corset- Stays, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in corset stays, and more particularly to improvements of means for blunting and softening the ends thereof, and has for an objeot to rovide a device of the class described With added means for more effectually securing the parts in their proper relationship.

Generical-ly described, my improvement comprises a small silient flexible material, such as soft rubber, which is adapted to be fitted snugly over the ends of a corset stay, which tip is provided with a flap, extending laterally from beyond the line of the pocket proper sufficiently to supply means for sewmg or otherwise attaching to the material to which the'stays relate.

In the referred form of my improvement I malre the tip of soft rubber having oneside formed fiat and the other somewhat rounded, and vulcanize upon the flat side a small portion of canvas, which as pointed out is made slightly wider than the rubber tip and thereby provides a flap of different material, extending around the two sldes and bottom, by means of which the device can be firmly secured to the material of the corset in the manner indicated. The depth of the pocket need only be suflicient to retain the stays in their li' "ted longitudinal displacement due to the usual movements of the body of the wearer of the corset, which in ordinary one half an inch.

I am aware that it is not new with me merel to add caps to the ends of corset stays, for others have prepared such tips, using various materials, including soft rubber, and accordingly I disclaim that .particular idea broadly applied, but in employing all such tips rovision must be made in one form or anot er for retaining the stay within the pocket thereof, and in the case of soft rubber in the manner described, the tips are held in place wholly by frictional means, due

to the constricting action of the rubber, unassisted by other means. This has been found highly unsatisfactory because of the tendency pouch-like tip of some reuse will require a depth of less than I of the tip to be readily displaced as a result of the ordinary movements of the body.

Furthermore, due to the lack of strength of soft rubber, it would be found impract1cable to secure a tip made entirely of that substance by sewing it directl to the material of the corset, which di culty I thus overcome by vulcanizing a pad of suitable material .upon the soft rubber cap, leaving sufficient margin for stitching, as may be re uired.

nasmuch, therefore, as the properties of rubber lend themselves with peculiar adaptability to the purposes of a device of this class, my invention is designed to supply the rubber tip with means for securing it in position with absolute certainty; and at the same time, by virtue of the special means employed to this end, I am able to produce a superior tip in other respects; for example, in thus vulcanizing the canvas tab upon the rubber tip, the former is reinforced and strengthened in the matter of its own durability, and is at the same time stiffened in the matter of its own construction, thereby more efiiciently holding the stay in the position it is designed to occupy.

' Other features and advantageous objects of the peculiar construction of my im roved tip will appear from the full speci cation and the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrative of a preferred embodiment of my invention are made a part hereof, of Which- Figure 1 is a view of the caps of my invention applied to a stay, in normal position.

Fig. 2 is a plan View, enlarged. of the tip applied to the end of a stay, disassociated from the material, and

Fig. '3 is a medial, sectional View of the device shown in Fig. 2.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 represents a portion of fabric, such as employed in making corsets, having tacked thereon an-ordinary corset stay 10 which may be of any suitable material, such as whalebone, steel or other metal. Upon either end of the stay is adapted to be inserted the flanged cap 2 of the preferred embodiment of my invention in its complete form, which comprises the pouch portion 3,

vulcanized thereon, a small canvas tab 5, which is cut somewhat larger than the pouch portion 3, providing a marginal flap 6 upon the two sides and bottom thereof. The stitches 7 indicate the most familiar means by which the marginal flap may be secured to the material 1 of which the corset is composed. It is conceivable, however, that the device 2 could itself be thus inclosed in a larger pocket made into the material of the corset, or otherwise fixedly secured thereto in the same manner that the stays themselves are held in position. However, the stitching through the margin 6 is found to be the most convenient and preferable, way for attaching the device to the corset, and I accordin 1y illustrate my device in this form.

he pouch portion 5 being made of rubber, does not necessarily require any particular form for its construction, except that its cross-sectional area is slightly smaller than that of the stay, and it is therefore adapted to be stretched over the end of the stay. But notwithstanding the tip being thus normally constructed so as to just receive the end of the stay to be snugly held thereby, which would suffice to hold it in place ordinarily, it is nevertheless advantageous to have one side of the pouch portion slightly wider than the other and less rounded, and to attach the canvas portion to the flat side. The general outlines and conformation of the pouch will by this means be made to conform to the rib portion more neatly, and avoid unnecessary wrinkling of the parts immediately con tiguous to the end of the stays.

The matter of vulcanizing rubber in connection with canvas is in such common use at the present day that it is not deemed necessary to designate to a greater extent the details of construction of the device which relate to the method of production thereof, further than'to specify broadly that the flat portion of canvas should be vulcanized upon the flat side of the rubber tip, as set forth, it being nevertheless pointed out that in the ordinary process of vulcanization, the rubber itself to a certain extent permeates the fabric or canvas, thereby holding together the threads of which it is composed. Inasmuch therefore as canvas is probably the most suitable material to be employed in connection with the process whereby my improved tip is produced, this feature will be especially beneficial.

While I have thus described more or less completely the .details of construction and application of the preferred form of my improved cushion stay cap, I do not deslre to be limited to the specific construction of the form illustrated in the drawings and described in this specification. Thus it is obvious that there are other materials which would serve to form the pocket for receiving the end of the stay to which the original flap could be attached, by sewing or otherwise; or, the cap and edging could be made of a single material, such as leather suitably selected for the purpose, which, while it would be in many respects lessadaptable to the purposes of my invention than that of my preferred form,- yet it obviously could be employed as a substitute therefor, and to that extent would operate against whatever protection might be given under the present invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A soft rubber tip having a pocket adapted to receive therein the end of a corset stay, and a woven fabric flange vulcanized thereon and extending beyond the edges thereof.

2. A soft rubber tip having a pocket adapted to receive therein the end of a corset stay, a woven fabric flange vulcanized upon one side of said tip and extending beyond the edges thereof both laterally and longitudinally.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this third day of November, 191

ARTHUR SHORROCK. Witnesses: Josnrn A. Gammon, JAs. G. TIMONEY. 

